Saturday, March 30, 2013

Abortion and the robot revolt

How heartwarming it was to watch five brave Con backbenchers rise up to defend Langley Con MP Mark Warawa's right to independent Steve-free abortion speech in the House of Commons. After years of having to recite member statements on whatever idiotic repetitive talking points the 30-somethings in the PMO assigned to them every day, this week the robots are revolting.

Williamson, Steve's former communications director, and Rathgeber declined to answer the Campaign Life questionnaire but both voted in favor of Woodworth's alternative abortion ploy - Motion 312 - to study when life begins in the womb, along with 86 other Con MPs and one third of cabinet.While there are principled reasons to support MPs' right to speak freely in the House, it is notable that of all the issues this government has made a point of muzzling of their MPs on, including this one in its various previous anti-choice disguises, suddenly we are being asked to put the right of MPs to speak their minds in the House ahead of women's rights as a point of principle, led by MPs who have already committed themselves to introducing anti-choice laws.

So are we looking at a Backbencher Spring here? Here's Warawa free speech supporter Con MP Leon Benoit immediately after the weekly caucus meeting with Steve the following day :

“I think it was a good meeting. The media have reported, and I think accurately, that many members who were upset for a variety of reasons, seem to be satisfied that the issues have either been resolved or the issues are not worth resolving.”

Herr Harper's MPs are useless, gutless wonders. Herr Harper has dictated to his useless henchmen, their behavior during Easter break. They are absolutely not permitted, to break those rules, what-so-ever.

The Mafia Boss has spoken. Harper's MPs will obey their Mafia King Harper orders, for their conduct during Easter break.

Just when you think Herr Harper and his henchmen, couldn't possibly go any lower, they do.

This whole circus could be a Machiavellian ploy to get the abortion debate back on the agenda.

Harper pretends to muzzle his MPs on abortion and they stage a fake revolt. Harper then says that 'in the interest of democracy, he must let his Reform members act on abortion related legislation'.

Harper escapes his election promises in the name of 'democracy' and the Reformers get their abortion agenda moved to the front burner. The Conservative rallying cry becomes 'If you are not for the debate of abortion, then you are against democracy!".

The five anti-choice backbenchers were heading back to their constituencies for spring break just after this little rebellion broke. Now they can at least tell their so-con backers back home that they really really really tried.